Apostle of the Sleeping Gods Read online

  I didn’t have to guess who set me up or who sent out these guardsmen who had been peacefully feasting in the tavern earlier. In a clear show of magnanimity, Polynucleotide was sending a message that he was still angry at me and would keep tripping me up any way he could. And what could be worse than breaking a unique quest chain and giving me negative reputation with the only city in our sandbox? The only inhabited place a normal player could buy gear, sell stuff at auction, fix equipment, take a rest, visit trainers and receive quests?

  But that bastard was forgetting one thing: I was not a normal player...

  One block from the prison, I remembered how Gale had tried to extract a three-copper bribe after I tore Vista’s dress and decided to try and bargain. I thought it might help me get my reputation back. Plus, when better to test how the persuasion skill worked than right now?

  “Sir! I have money,” I whispered at the back of Gale’s head. “Maybe we can handle this without a judge? It’s nighttime, why bother an old man?”

  It seemed they hadn’t heard me and then I made an offer:

  “Thirty gold, Sir. And if you can wait, I can give you more...”

  Gale stopped sharply and the other guardsmen stood still as statues. Gale walked up closer. I could see on his face that greed was struggling against something else. He worked his jaws then said amicably:

  “Don’t you ‘sir’ me! You can call me David. To be honest, if it was any other townsperson, we may have been able to come to an agreement... murderer. Well, alleged... But Captain O’Grady isn’t any old person! Right boys?”

  “That’s right!” their voices rang out around me. “He’s one of us!”

  “Exactly right,” Gale nodded. “And once you’re one of us, you’re always one of us!”

  “I’m proud of Mr. O’Grady myself!” I exclaimed. “He and I spent the whole evening together, ask anyone you like, many saw us, Sir... David! We were going together to search for the criminals that harass our citizens. The ones who have a reward on their heads! Mr. O’Grady wanted to stop drinking and earn back the town’s respect! Any truth seeker can confirm it!”

  “It doesn’t work that way,” Gale winced. “Truth seekers are not brought in to resolve disputes between Tristad visitors and the city, Scyth. When comes to townspeople, they are powerless.”

  So, that function for resolving disputes only worked between players... Nether! I still had a severe lack of fundamental knowledge about this game. But if truth seekers did work that way, Big Po probably wouldn’t have done this. Then it might have blown back onto Axiom. A member of a clan headed by a candidate for city council kills an honorary citizen? Not the best look for their chances in the election.

  “Sir, is there really no other way? I swear to you I am not guilty! I mean how could I kill Mr. O’Grady? Look at me, David. I didn’t even have a way of hurting him!”

  Gale took a skeptical look at me, judged my level and said somewhat guiltily:

  “You see, Scyth... We received a tip about you from above. This case is under special observation, so it simply cannot just fade away.”

  Sharply turning, he gave the command to get moving and said, if I spoke again, to break my arm. The only clue that he was making a very peculiar kind of joke was the low rumble of laughter among the convoy.

  I walked with my head low and, next to the portal into the ins for the right wing of the prison, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the real killer Atiyakari grinning. Seemingly, today was his shift to watch me. If they were going to be observing me constantly, I would have to be more careful in the future and check carefully before activating curse of the undead.

  The judge’s small chambers were right inside the prison building and had just two exits: one into the prison, and one out to freedom. In the prison, Gale handed me off to Geezer, a gray-haired prison guard I had also met before. He spent the whole way to prison not saying a single word and, only then, said with just his lips:

  “Good luck, Scyth.”

  He stood next to me. I was immediately surrounded by an energy field and magical handcuffs appeared on my wrists. What was more, now I couldn’t exit Dis or say anything until the judge reached a verdict. My mouth was sealed with a silence curse.

  There was no sign of solemnity: a dimly lit building, smoldering torches on the walls, guardsmen shifting about impatiently, Judge Cannon yawning. By the looks of things, he’d just been rattled out of bed. But worst of all was that I had a pacification debuff: all my attributes and skills were lowered by ten times. And that meant there was no way to persuade the judge I was innocent.

  Behind a short rostrum next to the ancient Cannon was warden Cooper. He whispered something into the judge’s ear, and said summarily:

  “Tristad visitor Scyth! You stand accused of the premeditated murder of honorary Tristad citizen Patrick O’Grady. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”

  “Scum!” Cooper shouted. “Scoundrel!”

  “Order in the court!” the judge called.

  As sickly and ailing as Cannon may have seemed, he had a commanding voice. Thick and bassy.

  I thought feverishly. I couldn’t mention the fact that Patrick would be resurrecting. After all, they would require an explanation and I’d have to admit that I founded the faith of the Sleeping Gods. No, I’d better act like a normal player.

  “I am not guilty, your honor,” I declared, as soon as the silence curse turned off. “It wasn’t me that killed Mr. O’Grady.”

  The judge tilted his head on his thin old-man’s neck in disbelief. Mumbling with his lips, he asked:

  “Is there anyone at all who can confirm your words, accused?”

  “There was no one around other than Patrick O’Grady, myself and the killer whose name is Atiyakari, your honor. But maybe some townsperson...”

  “Enough!” warden Cooper bellowed. “Your honor, let’s not draw this out. In all his time in Tristad, visitor Scyth has never shown us his good side. He has not earned a dignified reputation nor the respect of the townsfolk! And if I was in your place...”

  “I didn’t ask!” the judge said angrily, interrupting Cooper. “But thank Nergal you are not in my place! You can have command over the prison, but this is a fair court of law! Bring in the witness!”

  I turned around and saw Atiyakari grinning and entering the judge’s chamber. That was when I realized I had no chance and started trying to guess how the game mechanics would punish the murder of an NPC. Negative reputation? Banishment from the city? A few days in prison? Work in the mines? A fine?

  The Axiom cutthroat meanwhile sang like a nightingale, saying he was walking the darkened streets enjoying the silence and writing a poem in honor of this magnificent city when, suddenly, he noticed a player who he identified as me, insulting and flagellating the defenseless town beggar. Atiyakari wanted to intervene but didn’t make it in time. The defenseless Honorary Citizen O’Grady, incidentally, had already fallen dead from my lethal daggers. Without delay, Atiyakari ran to a nearby patrol of the city guard, telling his friends via signal amulet to send help urgently. He didn’t risk taking me on in single combat, knowing of my criminal inclinations. At these words he faltered, catching a skeptical gaze from the judge. He realized he’d overplayed his hand a bit and took a step back.

  “No, it’s true your honor!” the killer shouted. “That Scyth, you know what a monster he is? He is famed for taking down the celebrated warrior Crag with nothing but his fists!”

  “Is that so?” Cannon asked and turned to me: “So then, defendant, are you a master of unarmed combat? Logical question: examination of the body revealed that the deceased died of puncture wounds, but no such weapons were found either at the scene of the crime or on the defendant’s person. All we found were brass knuckles which, as far as I understand, are quite difficult to stab someone with. Witness, how do you explain this?”

  “How should I know, your honor?” Atiyakari asked in surprise. “It was dark, maybe I saw wrong.”

  Coop
er leaned toward the judge and, gesticulating wildly, started whispering. The old man nodded:

  “Alright. I’ll allow it.” He looked at me. “Defendant, please provide complete access to the contents of your bag.”

  Equality in action. Mobs not only knew about our extraspatial inventories, they had them as well and made active use of them. I removed my backpack, gave the judge access, waited for the forcefield to switch off and handed it to Geezer. The guardsman in his turn, brought the backpack over to Cannon.

  He dug around in disgust and took out a huge scorpion eye the size of a head of cabbage.

  “Nergal the Radiant!” Cannon was struck and threw the eye onto the table. “What is that thing? Eye of Murkiss? The very beast that invaded the Olton Quarries? What is your relationship to this item, defendant?”

  “Very straightforward, your honor. I was in the group which expelled the evil from the depths of the Olton Quarries.”

  As far as I understood the mechanic of such ins’s, after we took down Murkiss, it changed phase from active to passive: now other groups could still go in and pass it, but no longer had any influence on the outside world. To put it crudely, the miners could work there at ease now, at the very least until the next phase started.

  “Yeah?” Geezer snorted softly, but he was heard. “What a twist! As far as I know, Whiteacre promised a great reward for defeating that scorpion. Two and a half thousand gold if I’m not mistaken and...”

  “Zip it, sergeant!” Cooper barked, then continued more calmly: “One creep killed another, nothing more. Of course we appreciate that, but it doesn’t compensate for the murder of the honorable Mr. O’Grady! Judge Cannon! Chief Councilman Whiteacre told me directly that...”

  “Send Mr. Whiteacre my sincere wish that he mind his own business!” Cannon struck the prison warden with such a spiteful gaze that he shut his mouth and didn’t try to speak again.

  I then wracked my brains trying to figure out how Axiom had achieved such influence in the city council that Whiteacre himself was trying to lobby for their agenda. Meanwhile the judge continued, and his monotone bass filled the room:

  “All the same, I must admit the honorable warden’s words are not without merit. I suppose I agree with the notion that past deeds cannot be considered in the evaluation of this case. But still, I will take the defendant’s act into account. So then...” He coughed, drank some water and continued: “After hearing all parties, I have come to the conclusion that, in the murder of Patrick O’Grady, Scyth has not been proven guilty.” Cannon frowned when he saw the smile on my face. “Not so fast, defendant! You have not been proven guilty, that doesn’t mean I have found you innocent! So I put your judgement into the hands of the gods! The court’s verdict – trial by ordeal[2]!” He thundered his gavel on the table. “Carry out the sentence! Take the defendant away!”

  While waiting for Geezer to let me go, I noticed Cooper was not hiding his joy, rubbing his hands. The judge turned to him:

  “What is it Edwin, they got a full house over there?”

  “All cells are packed, your honor! To the gills! The next test will be tomorrow after midday!”

  “That is good,” the judge said in satisfaction. “That is good.”

  Laughter rang out nearby. The Axiomite came next to me and expressed false pity.

  “You’ve really landed in a heap of trouble, Scyth. People who get sentenced to ordeals usually just start over.”

  “What does that even mean?”

  “Ordeal? They put you in a closed dungeon filled with prisoners from all of Dis. For various reasons, they can’t be executed so they get sent to be tried by the gods. Via portal, they are all sent to one location. Every prison in Dis has one. They’re one-way portals to an ins that lasts until only one player is left. Well, or something like that. I’ve never been, as I’m sure you understand.”

  “What’s so bad about that? I mean, let them kill me there. I’ll respawn in the town cemetery and it’ll all be over. Big deal...”

  “Well, Scyth, that’s the thing...” Atiyakari chuckled. “You don’t respawn.”

  Chapter 11. The Destroying Plague

  “WELL, SCYTH, that’s the thing. You don’t respawn...” Atiyakari said with a chuckle.

  He said something else but I didn’t hear. The cutthroat dissolved into thin air and everything else disappeared just after him. In a sudden flash, the court room was all gone together with Judge Cannon, warden Cooper and all the guardsmen including Geezer, the Cali Bottomer inside a bot...

  Instantly, I realized I was back on Moss Street a few blocks from Patrick’s house. The drunkard himself was a few steps ahead of me and reiterating something I’d heard before:

  “... and so, I signed up for the army. The recruiter, of course, was very convincing! To hear him tell it, war is just tons of fun and entertainment: traveling, girls, drinking and a bit of light jogging that didn’t even make him tired...”

  Not knowing what to think, I caught up to him and turned my head. Everything was calm. There was just a group of tipsy dwarves stumbling down the other side of the street, but still able to walk.

  Suddenly I saw an alert with no sound effects whatsoever. The text, formatted like a standard notification, appeared before my eyes:

  Divine Revelation has activated spontaneously!

  Sorry there was no warning buddy, but that’s how it’s supposed to work. It’s a crude skill and doesn’t give perfect accuracy. There wasn’t enough time to even write up a description but I guess you probably get the idea. The AI models the near future based on what it knows about your character. It turns that model into something like a personal instance with copies of the nongame characters and players you interact with or potentially could in the near future, and tosses you right in.

  Time passes much slower during Divine Revelations than in real life, so don’t be surprised if the vision just showed you an hour in the space of a few seconds.

  The skill triggers suddenly and only before events that could be crucial to your character. I hope this helps. Most importantly, bear in mind that its models of the future are fairly crude and unrefined and if you overact it is very possible that everything could go haywire.

  Also, you’ll never see this text again. Good luck, herald!

  The letters dissolved in the thick humid air. After the description for the herald class, it was hard to be surprised by anything but I was still astonished. After all, the modeling of my personal instance was so realistic! Even now trying to remember, I realized that many details were missing, and the memories were sort of like flashbacks: Patrick’s died, the guards appeared out of nowhere in one instant, I had a short conversation with Gale – and blam! – right into a fast-paced trial. It was like a short but vivid dream and now, after waking up, the details were fading.

  Remembering that the murderer was lurking somewhere nearby, I held Patrick back just as he was launching into his story about the bearded priest named either Carlos or Marcus.

  “Wait.” I put a finger to my lips.

  Patrick stopped and, looking baffled, fell silent. I quickly considered where we were in town and decided to bring him to the tavern, because it was just one block away.

  “Let’s drop by Bubbling Flagon,” I suggested.

  “Change of plans, Scyth?”

  “Yes, Patrick. First of all, for your own safety, you must accept my offer and I don’t wanna hear a word about it!” Big Po’s “ears” could have already been nearby and I was not going to make the same mistake twice.

  Patrick agreed to become a priest of the Sleeping Gods without a word. One problem down. At the very least, I didn’t have to worry that he might die now. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to pull off the same trick as in the dream or, I guess vision, if the killer attacked again.

  We made it to the tavern, looked around for a free table and headed for it. Midway there, I looked around and, to my complete lack of surprise, saw Atiyakari entering the front door. Not today, creep...

/>   “Have dinner, get a room in the tavern and go bed,” I said quietly after we were seated, making sure the cutthroat went to join his clanmates. “In the morning, leave the city and go to Darant, Patrick.”

  “To Jane?” a pocked smile lit up his face, but it quickly went out. “But you promised to help...”

  “And I will. But things have changed. I have enemies in this city and, once they realize we’re working together, they won’t let you live in peace. You’re too weak to stand up against them now and I can’t be there to protect you all the time. And I’m not all that tough myself... I’ve gotta keep myself safe.”

  “As far as I understand, you’re talking about them,” Patrick nodded at the Axiom table, where Big Po was boring into us with his eyes, his ear cocked toward Atiyakari. “I heard them talking about you. You must have really pissed them off! Alright, I’ll do as you say. In Darant... Can I meet with Jane?”